AN (original): Here we are! Back with Arc Two! Hurray! For all of you, this should be posted on October 7th, but currently it is August 27th for me! I don't know how many chapters I'll have written before I start posting again, but I'm hoping for at least ten! In my AN at the bottom, I'll probably state how many I did finish. Fingers crossed I reached my goal! Enjoy!
Berserk
Arc Two: Chapter One
{those intrepid heroes; those who wade out into battle}
The room goes quiet, not so much as a whisper flitting through the enclosed space, the silence so loud it rings in her ears. Laxus' expression hardens as he stares back at his cousin, gaze flicking between her and the unfamiliar man at her side, a sneer on his lips as he looks Natsu over, gaze lingering on the golden armor covering the lower half of his torso. After several seconds his smile slips away, smugness vanishing, though Lucy knows it won't remain that way for long. His spine straightens, Laxus rising to his full height and glaring at Natsu, fingers twitching. Sparks flicker from his digits, the air crackling with electricity as his agitation spills through the cracks in his resolve.
The air smells of lightning, a storm curling through the area between them, and if she didn't know better she would think rain was coming.
Laxus never has had control over his magic, constantly shocking people, sometimes to the point of pain, though she knows it's not for want. As a child he could do little more than create sparks on his fingers, the jolts teasing and more startling than painful, but as he aged his lightning became stronger, more unpredictable—dangerous. There was no one to teach them how to control the magic bubbling beneath their skin, but while Lucy's gusts of wind are relatively harmless, Laxus' shocks began to hurt. And the more they hurt others, the angrier it made him, which only affected his magic negatively.
The pale scar on her side tingles faintly, a reminder of things best forgotten.
Romeo glances nervously between the occupants of the room, gauging their reactions to Laxus' revelation. His gaze is wary as he looks between his adopted siblings, lips caught between his teeth. "Laxus, don't," he says suddenly, sighing as he takes a step between them, hovering in front of Lucy as if to block her from view. "Let it go for now," Romeo pleads, voice nearly a whisper. "She just came home."
Her younger brother takes a hesitant step towards her, wincing slightly as he sees the shock painted across her expression, and Lucy's throat closes up when she sees an apology in his eyes. There's guilt there as well, regret for opening the topic in the first place, and she suddenly feels very sick. Romeo reaches out for her. Fingers brush against her arm, though he doesn't grab her, only offers silent support.
She barely feels him next to her, numb.
Her hands go lax at her sides, fingers slipping from Natsu's, and she barely recognizes a jolt of hurt as he lets her go. Her eyes stay locked with her grandfather's, however, Lucy unable to turn away from the apology in his gaze, unsure what to make of it. They'd talked of war in the past, briefly letting their anger spill over into empty words, empty promises, empty threats. Laxus has always been belligerent, the lightning in his veins crackling with heat and itching to spill over.
We're starting a war, Laxus' words curl through her mind, Lucy unable to breathe. Disbelief and fear curl through her, choking her. Her hands tremble at her sides, her good-humored argument with Laxus suddenly leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Lucy sways slightly where she stands, unable to process what Laxus said. She's been home for less than five minutes and Laxus is already calling for war.
He wasn't in Pergrande. He didn't see what she saw. He wasn't there when Jorah was burned to the ground, didn't smell the bodies left to rot. A small skirmish at the border was all it was, and it destroyed an entire town.
And the worst part is that she can't say she didn't know it was coming.
Laxus' turns his glare on Romeo, snorting loudly and crossing his arms over his chest, a hard look in his eyes. "Stay out of it, Romeo," he demands, eyes snapping back to Lucy's as he ignores the younger man, staring over his shoulder. Lightning flickers from his fingers, crackling sharply through the room.
Her magic flares in response, a breeze that shouldn't be there ruffling her hair before slipping closer to Laxus, a challenge.
She peels her eyes from the gold boiling in her cousin's, Lucy's gaze snaps to Makarov's instead, praying Laxus is only trying to get under her skin. She doesn't want a war, not now. It may have been their goal before to crumble the Centari empire and instill the rightful heir, but things have changed now. After what happened in Jorah she knows it won't be that easy.
Her eyes search his expression, seeking an answer, but she doesn't like what she finds. Ice curls through her veins and slips between her ribs, finding her heart and squeezing as she watches the series of emotions that flicker across her grandfather's face: anger, annoyance, something like guilt that makes her feel sick. He meets her eyes, hesitating briefly as shame creeps across his features, slow and winding, like ivy. For a moment she doesn't notice it, but his eyes have never told a lie. Not to her.
Makarov's always had honest eyes. They're more trustworthy than his mouth could ever be. She's heard him swindle customers before, the Fae blood in their veins giving them perfect honey tongues, sweetness masking the sting.
Her cousin takes a step towards them, almost threatening as he glances towards Natsu, still hovering beside Lucy. His teeth grind together, so loud that Lucy can hear, and the sound forces her eyes back to Laxus' enraged expression. He clenches his jaw so tightly that a muscle jumps, and Romeo hesitates as lightning flashes in his eyes.
"Laxus, come on," he tries a second time, holding his arms up, placating, and Lucy barely sees the hint of a smile on his lips, nervous, but genuine. "Don't do this right now." He takes a step forward, crossing the small distance between the two of them, wary as he glances down at Laxus' fists. They all know Laxus would never dare strike Romeo; it's his magic they don't trust. "I shouldn't have said anything," Romeo continues, chin tilted to meet Laxus' eyes, but he's still staring at Lucy. "We can talk about this later."
Romeo moves to place his hands on Laxus' shoulders, hoping to calm him, but Lucy suddenly springs forward. Her fingers curl through the back of his shirt and she yanks him backwards just as a bolt of lightning springs from Laxus' arm, hissing and sputtering. It misses Romeo by a hair and he stumbles back into Lucy, who whirls on Laxus instead.
"Laxus, stop!" she barks at him, gently shoving Romeo away and taking a step forward. He snarls something back at her, but the words are lost on Lucy as a growl suddenly rips through the air, heat prickling at her skin.
"What war?" a voice snarls from behind her, the hair on her arms standing on end at the dangerous note to the words. Something cold washes down Lucy's spine, her breath catching.
She didn't notice Natsu going stiff at her side, the Berserk finally processing Laxus' words. But his anger? That Lucy can feel. A burning heat suddenly curls through the room coming off of him in waves. It's sweltering, the Gods Flame boiling in his blood and seeping into the room. It burns at her skin, no longer a comforting warmth beside her and Lucy flinches slightly as his arm brushes against hers.
His agitation flickers, fire like, and licks at her skin. Lucy manages to tear her gaze away from Laxus long enough to glance up at her friend, flinching when she sees his gaze has gone cold. All the life she's come to know has frosted over, hidden below a layer of sheer ice that contrasts with the heat rolling off him.
His breaths come in gasps, Natsu's clenched fists beginning to tremble, and his expression suddenly flickers with something dangerous, something she hasn't seen since the time they fought. His lips curl back and he straightens to his full height, towering over Lucy for the second time since they met.
"Natsu," she breathes, finding her voice suddenly as terror sweeps through her. Everything about the Berserk is tense, as rigid as he was back in Jorah, before the rebellion broke out. His fingers curl into tight fists, pupils constricted into pinpricks as he stares at Laxus, something horrified in his gaze. It's with a bitter taste that Lucy realizes she dragged him from one war directly into another.
He doesn't react to her voice, gaze locked on Laxus. "What war?" he growls again, low and threatening, and Lucy sees Romeo flinch from the corner of her eye, the younger man startled by the Berserk's tone. Her brother curls in on himself, taking a small step back, and Lucy sees Jellal reach for a knife, expression cool, calculating but not cruel.
Laxus glares back, unafraid even as Natsu bares his teeth. The air crackles once more, sparks shooting from Laxus' fingers, and Lucy could swear she sees his magic move beneath his skin, crawling up his arms. Her own magic reacts to his, a gale ripping through the room wildly. Lucy's hair whips around her, and she misses the awe in Makarov's eyes, her magic stronger than it once was, more unpredictable.
She takes a slow breath, calming herself as the room's tension washes over her, ice pooling in her stomach and freezing her from the inside out. "Natsu," she tries again, praying to the Old Gods that she'll get his attention as she reaches for him. Her palm brushes against his bare arm, his skin burning to the touch, but she doesn't pull away from him, even as she feels her skin prickle with sudden pain.
Natsu jerks away from her touch briefly, eyes snapping down to meet hers. He stills when he sees her, gaze going soft for only a moment before he turns back to Laxus. Natsu doesn't say a word, his jaw clenching and teeth grinding together audibly. She squeezes his arm once more, reminding him that she's there. While he doesn't pull away from her, he doesn't relax either, and with a sigh she lets her arm fall back to her side.
Instead of prodding him when she knows he isn't about to budge, she turns back to her cousin.
"Laxus, what are you talking about?" she hisses, stepping around Natsu and Romeo to face her cousin more directly, hesitant to cross the distance between them, but loath to hide. Cold realization washes over her when their eyes lock, burnished gold clashing. Laxus looks away first, only for a moment, and Lucy knows him well enough to recognize even the smallest flicker of guilt.
It's an expression she's never liked, not on him.
Silence stretches between them for several seconds, and then Laxus' gaze hardens, something molten in his eyes. "It has been decided," is all he says, glowering at her. A muscle in his jaw jumps as he swallows, tensing and anticipating her anger. He exhales through his nose, strands of blond hair ruffling as her wind curls around him, almost threatening, and she struggles to rein it back in.
As angry as she is right now, she would never forgive herself for hurting him, accident or not.
A sting of betrayal curls through her, Lucy's eyes going icy as she glares back at Laxus, realizing they've gone behind her back on a decision that might cost them all dearly. "That what?" she asks him coolly, hands curling into fists at her sides. "That we should declare war on Pergrande?"
The corner of his lips twitch and she knows she's right.
He's called for war on Pergrande before, arguing with Makarov about why they should fight back, why they should stop hiding in the shadows like rats. Laxus always expressed his disdain with hiding their magic, as weak as it is, letting it rot away inside their bodies with each generation. The Dreyar clan used to be filled with powerful magic users, yet they've been reduced to parlor tricks and silly pranks.
There was talk of war when she left, Laxus and Makarov at each others throats over what they should do. Laxus wanted to go to the Fae council in Crocus, the direct rule beneath Fiore's king. Though they aren't Faeborne themselves, the ruling family has always been fair to the Fae, perhaps knowing what an asset they could become. Where the Centari line of Pergrande took to stealing magic, slaughtering for it and painting their cities red, Fiore's approach was sly, manipulative. They're allowed to exist, but only if they maintain some kind of purpose, their magic to be used at the Crown's disposal.
Fiore has never done a damn thing to protect them. Not from Pergrande and its armies and not from the traders of Bosco, turning blind eyes to them and leaving the Fae to their own devices. They may be members of Fiore's society, but the Crown would never go to lengths to protect them.
They're better off than the Berserks, ignored but not mistreated.
Laxus, however, merely scoffs at her accusation, eyes rolling as he sends her a nasty look. "We've been talking about this for months," he reminds her, and though Lucy knows he means a time before she left, Lucy can't help the bitterness that curls through her.
"How could we?" she says, a biting edge to her words. Lucy looks at Laxus almost lazily, no heat to her gaze, though she can feel it bubbling just beneath the surface, clawing its way out from under her skin. "I wasn't here," Lucy reminds him, a small part of her hoping it hurts him. He never did want her to go to Pergrande, but they both know that if he asked her not to leave she wouldn't have.
But he didn't ask her, and she left all the same.
Their pride never has been kind to either of them. Lucy does things just to spite him, wanting to prove him wrong whenever she can. It's why she went after the stone in the first place, simply because he told her she couldn't, that she'd only get herself killed. And Laxus has always been too stubborn to say what he really means, coming off brash and hurtful instead of saying what he really wants.
Even now, she knows he really only wants to welcome her home and make sure she's okay, but it's the anger coming through instead. Anger at her leaving, anger that he couldn't stop her, fear that she wouldn't come home. She knows Natsu isn't helping. Laxus is nothing if not distrustful of strangers. He takes care of his own and no one else, loyal to a fault but scorning those he doesn't trust.
It took him ages to warm to Jellal, distrustful of the strange boy Makarov took in when he was younger. Jellal must have been seventeen at the time, no older than Romeo is now, and Lucy was younger, perhaps thirteen. Jellal and Laxus are nearly the same age, but even then Laxus carried himself with stones for skin, guarded at all times.
She knew bringing Natsu into this house how Laxus would react to it, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. And war wasn't something she was prepared for; worry and anger she can deal with, but war with Pergrande isn't something she's able to process so easily.
Her cousin is quiet for a long time.
Laxus eyes go cold, sharp as a knife. There's no warmth left, none of his previous joy from her return, only a blankness to mask the hurt he's hiding. "No," he agrees, taking a step away from her and straightening. "You weren't, were you."
Lucy bristles, stung by the underlying accusation, and she knows he's said precisely to get under her skin. "At least I did something," she spits back at him, jabbing a finger towards the necklace around her throat and taking a step forward so she's in his face. Laxus glances down at the gem around her neck, noticing it for the first time. The gold flickers in the light, and she feels several pairs of eyes flit to the jewel. "You're all talk Laxus," Lucy scoffs, shaking her head. "If you wanted a war so badly, you could have come with me."
"Then why didn't you kill the Centari when you had the chance?" Laxus asks her, curious, but it doesn't stop his anger from spilling through. He's changing the subject, avoiding her point, but she can't bring herself to care. Lucy thinks it might be a challenge as Laxus' gaze flicks to Natsu, wondering how much she told him about their plans.
Lucy finds herself laughing, short and bitter, and she sends Laxus a dirty look, unimpressed with his attitude. "And risk my head on a spike?" she asks, snorting softly. As easy as it would have been to kill him that morning, Lucy knows she wouldn't be standing here now if she did. "You think it would have been one Berserk sent after me if I committed regicide?" Laxus looks away from her briefly, wincing, and Lucy feels Natsu stiffen at her side, cringing away from her. "I'd be dead right now," she tells Laxus lowly. "Is that what you want?"
She gets a rise out of him like she was hoping for.
Sparks shoot from Laxus' fingers and his lips curl back. His fingers clench into tight fists and Lucy fights down a feeling of smugness, knowing that she's won this round.
"Don't pull that bullshit with me, Lucy," he snaps, looming over her in a way that should be threatening but only serves to infuriate her. She's never been afraid of Laxus, and his attempts at intimidating her to get his way have always been cause for her to snap. She glares up at him, but there's something pained in his eyes and for a moment she thinks she went too far. "You know I would never—"
She sighs. "Laxus—"
"You left for four months," he cuts her off sharply, sneering, and Lucy hears Romeo murmur something to Laxus, a warning note to his usually joyful voice. Laxus ignores him however, gaze focused solely on Lucy. "You left, and you come back and bring one of them right to our door!"
The accusation makes her flinch, but she recovers quickly, ignoring the wind whipping around her as she snaps at him, "One of what, Laxus?" Lucy spits the words at him, a sour taste in her mouth. She wants him to say it. She wants him to tell her what he's really angry about, instead of dancing around it any longer. "What did I bring to our door?"
She's met with stark silence for a moment. No one breathes a word.
"Berserker," Laxus snaps back at her, the single word making her flinch. Lucy doesn't have to turn around to know the look on Natsu's face, and her heart squeezes as the image conjures in her mind. Laxus doesn't stop there, however, continuing when Lucy doesn't speak. "You brought a monster into our home."
Her breath catches slightly, a strange sound pulling from her throat as she remembers the Berserk Natsu fought in Pergrande, the ones they saw in Jorah. She remembers that she thought the same thing as Laxus once, plagued by the memories of them ripping her mother to pieces, leaving her scattered across the ground while Lucy could do nothing but sob.
Something inside her snaps.
The next thing she knows she's grabbed him by the shirt and jerked him down towards her, their noses nearly touching as she snarls at him. "Don't you dare call him that, Laxus!" White hot anger floods her veins, ripping through her so quickly it scares her for a moment. But she shoves down that fear, letting the rage cloud her instead.
"Am I wrong?" he challenges her, ripping out of her grasp before his magic can shock her. Her own magic dims slightly, Lucy reminding herself that it's still Laxus and she doesn't wan to hurt him, even accidentally. "After everything they've done…" Laxus throws his head back in a laugh, expression incredulous. "Macao," he says suddenly, and Lucy goes very still as the name hits her like a blow. Romeo flinches, a soft sound pulling from his throat, and she winces. "Gina," Laxus continues, "Layla."
She takes a half-step away from him, stumbling slightly, and something horrible must be reflected on her face because for a moment Laxus sobers, expression twisting into something apologetic before it's swallowed by his anger once again.
It was a low blow and they both know it.
Her lips tremble as she takes a breath, hands shaking at her sides. "You don't know him," she reminds Laxus, a hard edge to her words, daring him to say anything else.
"I know enough," Laxus grumbles, eyeing her. His gaze slips to her arm, expression pinched, and her eyes snap to the ground. "How'd you two meet, Lucy?" he asks her, sarcasm dripping from his words. They both know the answer. "Hmm?" he prods. Laxus' hand lashes out, fingers curling around her upper arm as he jerks her around to see the pale scars on her arm. "You didn't fucking have that before you left."
A low growl spills from Natsu behind her, a warning, and Laxus turns his attention to the other man before Lucy can say a word. "You attack her?" he sneers, fingers tightening around Lucy's arm.
She jerks away from his grasp, shoving him a step backwards. Laxus trembles, lightning flickering from his fingers, and Lucy's stomach flips. "Laxus, stop!" she barks at him.
He doesn't listen, glaring at Berserk over her head.
"You try to kill her?" Laxus snarls, and something in Natsu's eyes must betray him, because Laxus starts to snap.
"Enough!" Makarov roars at them, fist slamming down onto the nearest table with a terrifying crack. The wood splits in two, splintering into pieces and crashing to the floor, and Lucy flinches, taking a step back from Laxus. Her cousin stills, breathing heavy, and glares at her, towering over Lucy by nearly two heads. His chest heaves with anger, lightning crackling across his fists.
Lucy's lips curve back over her teeth, a challenge in her eyes, and she considers ignoring her grandfather. Her magic picks up at the thought, swirling around her almost violently, and Laxus' eyes widen only the slightest, surprise creeping across his expression. It only lasts for a moment, Laxus shaking off his surprise, preparing to yell once again.
Her hands ball into fists, spine straightening as Laxus takes a step towards her.
"I said enough!" Makarov snaps.
Jellal shoves his way between them suddenly, pushing Laxus backwards to get him away from her, and Lucy feels a hand on her wrist, fingers gentle on her arm as they pull her away. For a moment she thinks it might be Natsu, but her head snaps around to find Romeo standing beside her, blue eyes apologetic and expression pinched as he looks between her and Laxus, unsure what to do. Romeo never has been one for getting between them when they argue like this, knowing it's usually safer for all of them if they just get it all out.
They've always brought out the best and worst in each other. Laxus' arrogance and lack of tact brings out a nasty side of her sometimes, and Lucy has a way of getting under his skin just as easily. Much like her magic, she tends to feed the fire. They rarely argue about anything, but when they do it can be explosive. Lucy could probably count on one hand the number of times they've really fought before.
Laxus typically has a level head and Lucy doesn't consider herself particularly quick to anger, so things never reach a magnitude where they need to be stopped like this.
Lucy glances behind her younger brother, noticing Natsu still standing in the threshold of the room, gaze wary as he stares at her, expression borderline cold as his eyes meet hers. Something twists in her gut, Lucy suddenly feeling sick. There's no anger there, no fear, no betrayal, nothing. His gaze is as empty as it was the first time they met and that scares her for a moment.
Anger she can handle. She can take growling and pacing and snapping, but the blankness in his eyes makes something squeeze in her chest. There's no life there, only a husk, and the last time she saw that expression she nearly died.
Her throat tightens, a lump welling there, and Lucy can't swallow it down. Her fingers uncurl, hands trembling slightly, and Lucy feels her pulse quicken as Natsu's empty eyes lock on hers. An icy finger traces down her spine and she inhales sharply, curling in on herself only the slightest.
Something in his eyes flicker, but it's gone before Lucy can recognize it, that terrible blankness overtaking him a moment later. His jaw clenches, fists shaking at his sides, and the paint on the inside of her wrist suddenly feels itchy for the first time in days.
Eventually she rips her eyes away from his, stung by the underlying accusation there, one she knows she deserves. She turns to Makarov instead, feeling the fight bleed from her slowly, her pulse slowing to a normal rate. "Gramps," she murmurs, throat tightening as she sees him take a step forward.
Lucy is suddenly hit with an intense wave of emotion as he hobbles forward. Tears burn at her eyes, and she chokes up, unable to say anything else. An ill feelings she has slip away, her lips twisting into a small smile when Makarov looks at her. Romeo's hand settles on her back, warm and reassuring, and even Laxus softens as he sees her tears.
Makarov clears his throat suddenly, expression becoming stern as he turns to Laxus, a hardness to his eyes. "There is no war," he says lowly, tilting his chin to meet Laxus' eyes. Expression never wavering, Makarov simply holds Laxus' gaze, his stiff posture daring the younger man to argue with him.
Laxus doesn't back down. His lips curve back in a snarl and a sizzling sound flicks through the air, lightning jumping between his fingers. A low sound pulls from his chest, an enraged rumbling, and Laxus begins to argue. "We decided—"
Their grandfather cuts him off sharply. "We decided on nothing, Laxus," he reminds him, calm, but with a steel edge to his words. "I am still head of this home so long as I breathe," Makarov tells him firmly, "and we will not start a war we cannot finish." Silence is all that greats him, Laxus expression twisting into something sour. He sneers but doesn't respond, making Makarov sigh. "Do I make myself clear?" Again, he gains no response. "We have argued over this for months, and the representatives—"
"Damn the representatives!" Laxus growls, shaking his head with a sneer before glaring down at Makarov, whose hand tightens around the walking stick in his grasp, knuckles white with the pressure. "They're all old cowards." Laxus' accusation lies thick between them.
Makarov's expression goes cold, a chill seeping into the room, all the warmth sapped away. "And am I also an old coward, Laxus?" The younger man's eyes widen, and his jaw clicks shut before he winces. Shame flickers in Laxus' eyes, but he doesn't breathe a word, much to Makarov's satisfaction.
"That's what I thought," Makarov murmurs, snorting and shaking his head. He sighs, eyes growing tired as he looks between his grandchildren, lips pursed. "Nothing has been decided," he says, speaking to Lucy, and she closes her eyes briefly, releasing a relieved breath. "Nothing will be decided," he continues quickly, turning back to Laxus. "Not now. Not for some time."
"We don't have time," Laxus argues weakly, seeming to soften slightly when he glances at Lucy. His magic flickers out, his temper cooled once again.
Frowning, Makarov spares Laxus one last look. "Make time," he demands. "Lucy only just returned to us, Laxus," he reminds the man, "are you so inclined to lose her again?" It gains him a flinch from Laxus, which seems to satisfy the old man. "Good," he cheers, a note of finality to the word, though Lucy knows the discussion is only over temporarily. "Now, Lucy dear," Makarov turns to her with a large grin, holding out his arms to her, "come over her and give me a hug."
Laughing lightly, Lucy takes a step towards him, falling into his arms easily. His own arms come to curl around her in return, pulling her close, and she sinks into the familiar embrace, sighing at the comforting feeling of being wrapped up in her grandfather's arms. Tears burn at her eyes once more, but she blinks them away, relishing in the knowledge that she's home.
She's home.
He gives her a gentle squeeze before she's suddenly pulled from his arms and crushed against Laxus' chest. She yelps, but he only winds his arms around her in a brief hug, lifting her straight off the ground for a split second and then releasing her. Lucy sends him a nasty look, but there's no heat to it, and he only grins before patting her on the head.
Romeo pulls her in next, twirling her around and pulling her into another hug, not nearly as tight as the first, but smothering nonetheless. Giggling, Lucy tosses her arms around his neck, letting him cling to her. A stare burns into the side of her face, and Lucy's eyes spring open, locking with a pair of jaded green eyes.
She stills in Romeo's grasp, but Natsu only watches her warily, staring for a long moment before spinning on his heel. Lucy jolts, his name on her lips, but the words stick in her throat as she tries to call after him.
The room rattles as the door shuts behind him.
AN: Almost caught up. I'm not making edits on Arc Two unless noted at the top of the chapter. There's really not much I feel the need to change, aside from a few lines and character mentions. A completely new chapter will either be out this Saturday (June 2) or the next Saturday, as I'm restructuring the arc and trying to remember exactly what I was trying to do with it.